Robotics comes to schools in Bedford
Students from Bedford Academy and Bedford School are benefitting from a partnership between The Harpur Trust and The Worshipful Company of Founders to enhance their engineering and coding skills through robotics.
Bedford Academy has set up a new robotics club for years 8 and 9, and Bedford School has been able to expand its existing club.
The partnership between the Worshipful Company of Founders, a London livery company and The Harpur Trust charity, is providing robotic kits to share between Bedford School and Bedford Academy. The Worshipful Company of Founders is one of the founding partners of Bedford Giving, which aims to create a brighter future for the next generation, along with The Harpur Trust, which hosts the new movement.
Head of Education Partnerships at The Harpur Trust, Caroline Downing, said: “We are excited to monitor the outcomes of the robotics clubs. As an Education Team we work in partnership with local schools to enhance educational outcomes for pupils across the borough. We fund many projects in state schools and the robotics club could be a possibility to expand into further schools.”
Chair of the Education Committee at the Worshipful Company of Founders, David Kennedy, said: “Robotics has inspired students across the academic spectrum to develop their confidence and skills, and go on to study related subjects at university, or via apprenticeships, to kick start their careers in the high-tech electronics industry.
“I am delighted to see robotics take off in schools in Bedford. I recently visited Bedford Academy’s Robotics Club and it was wonderful to see it in action. The young people’s enthusiasm was evident, and it was great to see them overcoming challenges in building the technology. We will be working closely with The Harpur Trust to see if robotics clubs can be developed at other local schools across the borough.”
This month the clubs from the two schools will meet and students will compete their robots against each other.
Chitra Shahani, Lead Teacher of Computer Science and IT at Bedford Academy, said: “Building on the success of our recent competition, we are planning to take our school to national competitions next year. This is a significant step forward and a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their talents on a larger stage.
“I am also planning to involve year 10 in our robotics club. By fostering pupil’s engineering and coding skills, we aim to motivate them to become future innovators and leaders in technology. I believe this will not only enhance their educational experience but also inspire younger students to engage more deeply with STEM (Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects.
“The pupils learn so many important skills in robotics such as problem solving, creativity, leadership, critical thinking and teamwork.
“I am genuinely excited about the future of our robotics club and the potential it holds for our students. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to The Harpur Trust and the Worshipful Company of Founders for bringing robotics to Bedford Academy and the support we’ve received from The Trust in making this program a success.”
Head of Prep Computing at Bedford School, Kashta Dale, added: “The club is a real hit with our creative and curious boys who love the challenge it offers. As they build their robots, they are learning a whole range of future skills in engineering and coding, as well as other fundamental skills.”
Find out about how Bedford Giving is helping young people to thrive and how you can get involved at www.bedfordgiving.org.uk